Rescue mission thefts found puzzling

Amanda Cuda

Updated 11:28 pm, Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Linda Casey, director of development & strategy planning for the Bridgeport Rescue Mission, holds a ten pound bag of frozen ground beef, the only bag left of a box of four, after three straight nights of burglaries at the mission's donation center at 1069 Connecticut Avenue in Bridgeport, Conn. on Tuesday, July 8, 2014.
Photo: Brian A. Pounds

A door that was pried open during the first of three straight nights of burglaries at the Bridgeport Rescue Mission Donation Center at 1069 Connecticut Avenue in Bridgeport, Conn. on Tuesday, July 8, 2014.
Photo: Brian A. Pounds

Two pry bars and a car alternator, used to smash in a door, left by a burglar after three straight nights of break-ins at the Bridgeport Rescue Mission Donation Center at 1069 Connecticut Avenue in Bridgeport, Conn. on Tuesday, July 8, 2014.
Photo: Brian A. Pounds

Two pry bars and a car alternator, used to smash in a door, left by...

Boxes of new coats were stolen from a high shelf on a third consecutive night of burglaries at the Bridgeport Rescue Mission Donation Center at 1069 Connecticut Avenue in Bridgeport, Conn. on Tuesday, July 8, 2014.
Photo: Brian A. Pounds

A deadbolt lock added to the door of the Bridgeport Rescue Mission Donation Center after three straight nights of burglaries at 1069 Connecticut Avenue in Bridgeport, Conn. on Tuesday, July 8, 2014.
Photo: Brian A. Pounds

That's what Linda Casey keeps asking herself. Casey is director of development and strategic planning at the Bridgeport Rescue Mission, which has been the victim of several break-ins over the past few days.

Twice during the holiday weekend, break-ins at the mission's warehouse resulted in the loss of hundreds of new winter coats and brand new bed sheets that had been donated -- all of which were supposed to go to those in need. Then Monday, the center was hit again, with thieves taking 30 pounds of ground beef and seven cases of green beans. They also left the freezer open, causing much of the food inside to thaw.

Those items can at least be salvaged if the food is prepared and served quickly, Casey said. But she found the loss of the other items puzzling and disturbing.

"We're trying to take the high road and stay positive," she said. "When something like this happens, it can affect everything we do and the order in which we do it."

She's particularly upset by the theft of the coats, which the mission was to distribute in the fall, and of the sheets.

"It's not often that we get new merchandise to give away," she said.

The Detective Bureau is investigating the matter, Bridgeport police spokesman William Kaempffer said.

The mission is a well-known resource for the city's poor and disadvantaged. Just last year, Mayor Bill Finch and his staff volunteered in the warehouse, sorting and bagging coats.

"This organization provides such an invaluable service in the community," Kaempffer said. "This individual stole from people in the community who are most in need of our help. I don't know any other way to phrase it. Detectives will investigate this case. In the meantime, Mayor Finch's office will put out the word for city employees who want to donate coats to offset the loss."

Casey said the donation center has been in its current location on Connecticut Avenue for four years without such incidents. She said the thieves were aggressive, in several cases using a crowbar to pry open locks on the door.

Casey said the mission installed a video camera outside the donation center after the first two break-ins, and have some footage of Monday night's incident, but it's too grainy to see anyone clearly. However, she said the thieves appeared to have pulled up a truck for the most recent theft.

"They've become very emboldened," Casey said. "They're very aggressive."

The mission has reached out to the community for help in replacing the stolen items, fixing the locks and paying for a more sophisticated surveillance system. The total cost is estimated at approximately $3,000 and Casey said the mission already received some donations through its website, www.BridgeportRescueMission.org.

Though the crimes have been a major setback for the organization, Casey is confident that the mission will survive and move forward.

"We believe God will have his way," she said. "We believe that good always comes out of a difficult situation."